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THIS WEEK: Minot State University finally returns home for games as the Beavers end a 16-game road swing to start the season. MSU plays host to South Dakota Mines Friday at 7:30 p.m. and takes on Black Hills State Saturday beginning at 6 p.m.

TRADITION IN TRANSITION: Minot State is in its third season of a four-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. MSU advanced to Year Three Provisional status in July and is expected to complete the transition in July 2012. Minot State was selected to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2012-13.

RECORDS: Minot State is 2-14 on the season and does not have a conference record due its independent status. South Dakota Mines is 7-7 on the season and Black Hills State comes into the weekend with a 4-7 record. Both SDM and BHSU is in Year Two transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's head coach is Peter Stewart, who begins his second season with the Beavers. Stewart is 15-31 overall. Jason Henry is in his seventh season as head coach at Mines and is 93-112 overall. Bradd Schafer is 31-13 overall in his second season as head coach at Black Hills State.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. Live audio can be accessed online at (www.kcjb.com). MSU provides live video and live stats as well as links to live audio and a MSU photo gallery all at msubeavers.com

RANKINGS: None of the teams were ranked in the preseason NABC Division II Coaches' Top 25 poll.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State capped a three-day tournament with a 105-75 win over Keyano College at the Wesmen Classic in Winnipeg, Manitoba, just before the New Year's break. South Dakota Mines split two home contests with former Dakota Athletic Conference teams Jamestown College (L, 77-70) and Mayville State (W, 60-50) last weekend. BHSU was defeated twice December 29-30 at the Perkins Classic, getting topped 53-51 by Montana Tech and 66-60 by Dakota Wesleyan.

OVERALL SERIES: The Beavers have a 21-14 edge against South Dakota Mines, dating back to the 2000 season. MSU and BHSU have battled to nearly .500 in their recent history as the Yellow Jackets have a 19-18 lead.

NOTING THE HARDROCKERS: South Dakota Mines head coach Jason Henry knows the MSU Dome very well as he played and coached for Minot State as well as prepped for Bishop Ryan High School. Henry graduated from MSU with a degree in physical education in 1997… The Hardrockers top three scorers, Kyle Doerr, Tanner Friesen and Calvin Thomas are separated by just 10 points as Doerr leads the way with 177 points. Friesen has 168 on the season, while Thomas has scored 167… SDM has been average from the free-throw line this season, hitting 60.3 percent, but the Hardrockers have scored points from the line none-the-less. SDM has gone to the line 343 times, making 207.

NOTING THE YELLOW JACKETS: Black Hills State has lost seven games in 2011-12, a quarter of the losses the program suffered over the past four seasons. BHSU is 81-28 in the past four seasons, losing just six games last year and five in 2009-10… The Yellow Jackets have used the 3-pointer throughout the season to score points as 7.7 of their 22.2 field goals averaged per game have come from beyond the arc… Leading scorer Rob Johnson takes 5.1 free throws per game, accounting for 4.3 points of his 15.5 average.

JOSH OF ALL TRADES: Minot State junior forward Josh Johnson (Lufkin, Texas) is in the top 3 in just about every statistical category for the Beavers. Johnson leads the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game and in blocked shots at 16 total. He even leads the team in a dubious category as he has fouled out a team-leading four times. Johnson is second overall on the team in rebounding at 7.0 and is third in steals at 1.2 per game.

ROAD WARRIORS: Minot State's final road trip of 2011 was a relatively short one as the 610-mile round-trip jaunt to Winnipeg, Manitoba paled in comparison to most of the Beavers trips. MSU has all ready traveled well over 9,000 miles this season as trips to Anchorage, Alaska (5,342 miles), St. George, Utah (2,618), Salt Lake City, Utah (2,018) and Winona, Minn. (1,262) have keep the Beavers in the bus. MSU still has road trips to Sioux Falls, S.D., Rapid City, S.D. and Las Vegas, Nev., before the end of the season.

BERHE HITS THE MARK: Minot State junior guard Yonas Behre (Toronto, Ontario) leads the team in both free throw percentage and 3-point percentage this season. Berhe has been nearly perfect at the free-throw line, knocking down 44 of 50 for 88.0 percent. On 3-pointers, Berhe, is 10 of 21 overall for 47.6 percent.

OFFENSIVE GLASS WORK: Minot State is a minus-(-3.4) rebounding this season overall, but have outboarded its opponents by 12 (205-193) on the offensive end of the court. The Beavers have three players with 30 or more offensive rebounds so far this season led by Chris East (So., G, Toronto, Ontario), who has 44 on the season. East is the Beavers' leading rebounder overall with 113 and a 7.1 average. Adam Randall (R-Fr., G, Steele, N.D.) is second with 37 offensive boards and Josh Johnson is third with 32.